Australia has long taken pleasure in its hard-nosed approach to cricket. They made judgments about what crossed the line and what didn't. When the Australian cricket team ruled the world of cricket, they were a bunch of bullies. Regardless of whether the Laws are in effect, there is a line that should never be crossed. Let us look at foul-play moments by the Australian cricket team.
1. The Underarm Ball
Possibly the best batsman to ever represent Australia was Greg Chappell. However, his sportsmanship cannot be compared to that of others. He famously asked Trevor Chappell, his bowler, and younger brother, to bowl Brian McKechnie of New Zealand an underarm ball along the ground. He took this action to prevent New Zealand from winning the match. This underarm ball ensured that the Kiwis couldn't score those runs because they needed six to tie off the last ball. The cricketing community condemned this strategy vehemently, and that day is regarded as one of the most unsettling in Australian cricket history.
2. The Brain Fade Moment
India made a stunning comeback in the second Test of the 2017 Test series against Australia in Bengaluru when they were down 1-0. The game's pivotal wicket was Steve Smith, whom Australia needed to win after losing early wickets and needing to chase down 189. Smith's plumb was trapped in front by Umesh Yadav, and he immediately glanced back toward the changing area to determine whether he should choose a review. The event didn't sit well with Virat Kohli, the Indian captain. The umpires immediately asked Smith to leave the wicket after he yelled abuse at him.
3. Sandpaper Gate Scandal
For Australia, it all came to an end during their 2018 tour of South Africa. Sandpaper Gate, a scandal, brutally awoke the cricketing community. Australia's Cameron Bancroft was caught on CCTV scratching the ball with sandpaper. When he confessed, everything went to hell, and later, both Steve Smith and David Warner revealed their involvement in the despicable deed. Everyone publicly criticized Australian sports culture and attacked the moral standards of Australian cricket. Australia had a terrible year in 2018 and everyone learned a lot from this episode.
4. Against The Spirit Of Cricket
When they realized they were out, none of their players walked. They included Andrew Symonds, Michael Clarke, and Ricky Ponting as legendary examples. It didn't stop there, as both Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke claimed a bump catch that was improper for a cricket match. Umpire Benson agreed with Ponting's claim that Sourav Ganguly had been cleanly caught at slip, adding insult to injury. On broadcast, Sunil Gavaskar criticized the Australian team and the umpires for their haughtiness
5. Changing The Opponent Batsmen’s Guard
On the fifth day of the third Test in Sydney, Rishabh Pant launched an assault against Australia. He was batting so hard that he was going crazy. The Australians were caught off guard by this, and in a fit of utter despair, Steve Smith was seen live on television altering Rishabh Pant's batting gear. Both fans and experts have expressed displeasure about this situation since they think the gameplay was subpar. Some even said that if you cheat once, you cheat again.
6. Metal Blades In Shoes
Australia's top bowler Fred Spofforth sprinted along the pitch in his followthrough while inserting metal blades into the heels of his boots for the third and final Test of the 1882-3 series in Sydney. After intentionally tearing up the pitch, Spofforth shifted ends and bowled into the rough he had created.
7. Throwing Ball Towards Batsmen
The fielder would aim squarely at the batter to make him leap out of the way when purportedly tossing the ball to the wicketkeeper. Before the ICC outlawed it, Steve Waugh's Test team made a habit of using this technique to inflict both physical and "mental disintegration" on players.
8. Obstructing The Field
Even though he got away with it, Matthew Wade wins the award for blocking the field during the T20 international in Perth. To prevent Mark Wood from catching the ball, he turned to his left and extended his left arm. Even though Wade received no condemnation from the Australian television pundits, Telegraph readers claim that the incident was disliked by the vast majority of Australians. Wade was not, however, disqualified for blocking the field because Jos Buttler, the captain of England, chose not to appeal to the umpires.
9. Purposely Hitting The Bails
The bowler was Brad Williams. Australian players informed the umpires after the third delivery of the over that the bails had come out and that it should be investigated for a hit-wicket dismissal. The ball never reached the stumps when the batsman played a shot down the fine leg, and it was not a run-out either, according to the replay. From a different perspective, it was obvious that Justin Langer purposely delayed the bails with his finger, but they continued to function normally, and even filed an appeal for a dismissal.
10. Sledging
India's determination was not broken by the hosts, but Australia's captain Tim Paine began pushing Ashwin from behind the sticks. Before spinner Nathan Lyon's over, Paine said, "I can't wait to get you to the Gabba, Ash, I'll tell you what, woohoo."
